If this is your first visit, please click the Sign Up now button to begin the process of creating your account so you can begin posting on our forums! The Sign Up
process will only take up about a minute of two of your time.

Corehouse Li'l Hacker

Hello everyone. Iwas considering getting this and was wondering if anyone had any advice. I really do not like foam planes. Iprefer all wood, vintage combat wings. But I would rather nock a foam wing around than a more intricate wood combat wing I spent hours scratch building. I hope to try and use my Space Hopper and RR 1 on these. So, any advice?

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

Rolla - The RR-1 and Space Hopper are very nice items to own. Collectible and irreplaceable and really should not be knocked around. However, if you really don't care about putting an RR-1 on the front end of a flying chunk of beer-cooler and plantingit face-first in mother earth then seriously, justsell it on ebay along with the hopper. Do a search on "completed listings" to see how much they sell for.Then take the money and go to Bernie's shop (coxengines dot ca) and buy a brand new Stunt Bee, or Black Widow 2, or even a Venom 2, and you will havemoney left over to buy some airplanes. You will be much better off engine-wise.

Brodak sells a two-pack of combat planes called the plastic fantastic, for $50 (that's for 2 kits). They are quite indestructable and with a hot engine and 42+ foot spiderwire linesthey're a blast! I have heard that the Lil Hackers are very similar.

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

I am definitely not selling these engines. I am also not going to let them just sit. If these engines were used on a Hacker it would be on the second model after my skills are better. If I were to sell these then I highly doubt I would be able to afford one again. I got lucky. $15 for the RR 1 and $20 for the Space Hopper and a Killer Bee together. I will not ruin these engines. I enjoy them too much. But accidents do happen when flying. They will certainly taste dirt no matter how long I wait to fly them. Just how it is. Even when careful, accidents happen. Also cannot afford $50 for that plane. That is why I usually scratch build. Thanks though.

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

Hi Rolla,
I've flown the Hackers with Big Mig .061's and with a Cox Medallion .09. Both worked well on suction and were fun and fast. The serious combat guys I know change the needle valves on the Norvels and go to bladder tanks. After a few crashes (including some midairs) my Hacker got too heavy to fly well.

How to mount an external tank is a real problem with the Hacker. A firewall-mounted engine will avoid that. So the Hacker is OK but kind of heavy.

For better flying with a low powered engine, I would suggest a Combat Kitten (modified) or a Baby Flite Streak if you're not doing combat.

If you want a sharp-looking plane with landing gear to keep those rare engines above the dirt, consider the Sig Deweybird. It won't turn as tight as the above, but it will look sharp doing loops and eights. And it builds quick.

For nostalgia ( if you are old enough to have that problem) one of the many Walt Musciano / Scientific designs may suit you. They will not stunt as well as the others.

My opinions are based on seeing these planes flown with various Norvel and Cox engines, but I haven't flown a Space Hopper or an RR-1.

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

Idoubt I will compete with these. More of a quick, fun plane to whip through the sky. Is there supposed to be a hole behind the firewall? If so could one fit a pressure system in there? I have experience with pressure tubes. Iwas considering using a pressureless bladder. Ihave never used them though. It will save from having to get a high speed needle valve assembly.

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

As I recall, the leading edge of the wing ends up close to the firewall to keep the plane frombeing nose heavy.

Cutting a bladder compartment into the wing seems like a good idea. It's the hard tanks that are hard to mount. As I recall, the combaters put the bladder behind the spar as there wasn't enough wing ahead of it. These were very early versions of the Hacker. The airfoil cross section may have changed. You might ask Phil at The Corehouse.

I've used "floppy bladder tanks" made of baby bottle liners. They work fine but take up a lot of space that a half A doesn't have (and are ugly and draggy). They will tend to lean out during the run. Do you know of a compact pressureless bladder?

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

There are some bladders that are being used that look like a kitten sized condom. They are used for resealing caulking tubes and are available at Lee Valley Tools in Canada for about $5 for 20 of them. They are a very thin wall, low pressure balloon thickness pretty much like a pacifier. They don't last too long but are ok for a couple of sessions likely. A normal needle could be used because of the lower pressure. I just bought some latex tubing from the medical supply store that is surgical tubing with a 1/16" hole and a 1/8" OD that I plan to use for a bladder. We used to use a cigar aluminum case or a suitable sized syringe without the plunger that was trimmed and screwed on to the side of the plane's profile fuselage. It could be stuffed into a combat likely too, or just attached to the top of the wing somewhere handy.

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

ORIGINAL: aspeed

There are some bladders that are being used that look like a kitten sized condom.Β* They are used for resealing caulking tubes and are available at Lee Valley Tools in Canada for about $5 for 20 of them. They are a very thin wall, low pressure balloon thickness pretty much like a pacifier. They don't last too long but are ok for a couple of sessions likely.Β*A normal needle could be used because of the lower pressure. Β*I just bought some latex tubing from the medical supply store that is surgical tubing with a 1/16'' hole and a 1/8'' OD that I plan to use for a bladder.Β* We used to use a cigar aluminum case or a suitable sized syringe without the plunger that was trimmed andΒ*screwed on to the side of the plane's profile fuselage. It could be stuffed into a combat likely too, or just attached to the top of the wing somewhere handy.

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

The "Little Red Cap" Kitten sized condom like thing has lower pressure than the regular bladders. They could likely use a regular needle. I still have a few of the KirnKraft needles that I use. I thought the combat planes aim for the streamer? :-) not the tank. I thought I would make a few needles myself but 128 threads per inch means the hole sizes have to be within a thou. or so, plus the taps and dies will be at a premium if they are even available. I haven't found the thin walled 3/16" yet, but got some thicker walled 3/16" that has to stil be tested.

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

I am going to try and use a Tee Dee .051. I was running the engine and got hit by the prop. Small cut. It was running nice. It was rich but no sudden lean outs. This may be the system I use. I will need smaller balloons. The ones I got are way too large. 12cc of fuel in it and you cannot even tell.

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

ORIGINAL: Godsey

I picked up some balloons today. I am going to see if IΒ*can work up a pressureless system. I have an idea on how to do it.

Hi Godsey, If you prop your TD for RPMs correctly, you'l use as 5X3 prop. The Lil Hacker is capable
of G forces that will ruin a suction system delivery. You do need to run the TD on pressure when
flying a well designed 1/2A combat model....you really have no choice. So check on any Combat
forums that you may find, and ask how to make and use a pressure fuel system. All of us old
retired Combat flyers learned by asking the appropriate person. You may have to mail order the
components such as rocket tubes, 1/32" wall 3/16" OD surgical tubing and a set of forceps
to pinch off the fuel flow. Almost forgot; a fuel syringe.

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

I already have the necessary items for a pressure system. I will not be able to get the Li'l Hacker. It turned out to be too expensive. Idecided to build a Combat plane called Cheap Imitation. He shows a Tee Dee .049/.051 on pressure system. I will be using a monokote tube thoroughly fuel proofed. Ihave talked with Ray Stone quite a bit on how to do it.

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

I just finished a pair of Hackers. One has a Norvel with a 6x3 and one has Tee Dee. Covered them with scraps of low-temp covering. I have flown the Norvel powered one. Running the suction tank and found out real quick that it would turn quick enough to kill the engine. Never flown combat and most likely won't, but the Hacker is a blast to fly. I'm got them so my son could learn the stunt pattern. I like it!

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

ORIGINAL: Aero Antics

I just finished a pair of Hackers. One has a Norvel with a 6x3 and one has Tee Dee. Covered them with scraps of low-temp covering. I have flown the Norvel powered one. Running the suction tank and found out real quick that it would turn quick enough to kill the engine. Never flown combat and most likely won't, but the Hacker is a blast to fly. I'm got them so my son could learn the stunt pattern. I like it!

Hi Allen, Muffler pressure will not cut it when trying to get constant fuel delivery

when flying a 1/2A Combat model. You absolutely will need a fuel bladder tank.

Phil Cartier has the components to make bladder tanks and I believe he has bladder

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

aspeed,
No muffler pressure, just suction feed.

Tony,
I know the bladder will work better. I built these for fun so I'm not to concerned. It will turn pretty good. It's just funny to be able to cut it and listen to the engine sag.
I have some 5x3 and 5x4 props for the engines because we also have an Ace GLH pylon racer with a Norvel in the works. It's replacing my son's Sig Hummer we wore out. My son has been flying stunt kites since about 1999- 2000. He can fly most anything but he hesitates to fly one of my full size stunt models. He says he doesn't want to tear up one of my big planes. I got the Hackers to let him fly something that cuts quick and he can work on the pattern. I am finishing up a Midwest ME109 for him because I know once he tries it he will like it.
Thanks for the suggestions!

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

OK Tony, now I understand!
Using a stunt kite on a single handle sounds like great fun and a new way to practice. I have a nice kite that will work great for that. I just bought new lines for it a while back so I will make up some kind of a handle for it and try it out.

RE: Corehouse Li'l Hacker

ORIGINAL: Aero Antics

OK Tony, now I understand!
Using a stunt kite on a single handle sounds like great fun and a new way to practice. I have a nice kite that will work great for that. I just bought new lines for it a while back so I will make up some kind of a handle for it and try it out.

Good For You Allen! I used a 7/8" dowel with two eyelets spaced 15 inches
apart, for medium size kites. You can try smaller spacings if you wish.
Best of luck;